


of trivial talks

by nanaview



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - High School, Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26286499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanaview/pseuds/nanaview
Summary: It wouldn’t be a normal day for Renjun if Jaemin wasn’t somewhere in his vicinity with a mouth ever so determined to get his attention. He sighs looking up from his paperwork and to the boy sitting across him.“Get lost Na.”orThe five times Jaemin asks Renjun a question, and the one time Renjun had asked him.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin
Comments: 21
Kudos: 165





	of trivial talks

**Author's Note:**

> Edited mistakes in grammar :))

1

“So do you believe in aliens or what?”

It was a normal day at the astronomy club’s room. A normal day being where Na Jaemin would invade their space again. Jaemin is known in their school for his high grades, attractive face and for apparently being great in just about any sport. But he’s lazy enough to not apply for any memberships.

Instead of going home after class, he chooses to loiter in the club’s room. And Renjun, despite being the president, can’t really ban him from coming because the guy is unfortunately friends with his members, all four of them.

Currently though, they’re the only ones in the room. The members have already gone home after their meeting was adjourned, Renjun just stayed to finish some additional work. Jaemin usually goes with his friends but today, he chose to stick with bothering Renjun some more as if he hadn’t already distracted them earlier. Their meeting took twice as long to finish because he was cracking jokes here and there.

The tiny room only has one big table placed at the center next to a movable white board. Renjun is down to his last paperwork when Jaemin across him, who was unusually being quiet for the most part and was doing nothing but drumming his fingers on the surface, had suddenly spoken up and asked him that question.

Renjun sighs before looking at him with the annoyance he doesn’t even bother hiding.

“Get lost Na.”

“But you didn’t even answer me,” Jaemin whines and even pouts like it will do anything to please the other. It really doesn’t but Renjun answers him anyway after finishing his work just so he would stop. “Fine, yes I do believe in them.”

Then Jaemin had the audacity to snort a laugh at him in response. He tries to hide his grin with his hand but it’s still obvious and it’s making Renjun become beyond annoyed. “What the hell,” he lets out indignantly.

“Ah I’m sorry,” Jaemin says, still snickering despite his apologies. “But isn’t this ridiculous?” He gestures his hands at the space between them. Renjun takes full offense, he kind of wants to punch Jaemin’s pearly white teeth off his face. But Renjun is better than this, violence is not the answer. Instead, he schools his face into a passive look then raises an eyebrow at him. “Explain yourself Na,” he says as he drops his pen and leans back on his chair with arms crossed.

The other leans closer on the table to happily oblige. “The president of a club based on the science behind space likes to indulge in his colorful imagination with fictional creatures.” He then gestures to Renjun. “Tell me this, isn’t science supposed to be research-based? What’s your proof that aliens exist?”

Renjun’s eyebrows just furrow even deeper the more he talks. He thinks the guy in front of him isn’t the top student in their batch for nothing, Jaemin is a literal know-it-all. “Science is discovery. Acquisition of knowledge. It isn’t limited to what we already know but extends to the other possibilities there are,” he replies as patiently as he can.

The other huffs a little laugh. “Just say you don’t have proof and go,” Jaemin retorts then mirrors Renjun’s crossed arms. He’s getting on Renjun’s nerves. Maybe violence can be the answer today. “Also,” Jaemin says while bringing a finger up, “it’s acquisition of new knowledge based on existing ones and I don’t think there’s any existing info on aliens besides conspiracies.”

Renjun, already getting engrossed in their little debate, leans closer this time. He narrows his eyes to ask, “Do you really think that we’re the only beings in this universe?” And Jaemin nods at him instantly saying, “Earth is special, has the perfect conditions for life.”

“But there are planets billions of light years away that have similar conditions. And who says life is limited to those conditions? For all we know, aliens have a vastly different genetic makeup than any other living thing on this planet.” He states this seriously but it appears that the other isn’t taking him seriously enough. Jaemin shakes his head with a mocking smile.

“Okay let’s backtrack on that, so we’ve seen the conditions but then are there really any signs of life?” he asks, placing his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand. Renjun doesn’t have an answer for that, he releases his crossed arms while pondering over it. “Well… no, unless there’ll be an expedition there, we won’t know yet. But then-”

“Hah you’re not even sure but you choose to believe it!” Jaemin cuts him off. He leans back on his chair with a smug grin on as if the conversation is already over and he has won.

But it isn’t over for Renjun, he protests with a fist on the table, “Hey you can’t just rule out possibilities!”

“Yeah but don’t you think it’s plain silly to blindly believe a mere possibility?”

Renjun scoffs at him. “Don’t you think it’s plain boring for you to be confined by such reasoning?”

“This is what’s called being rational Huang,” Jaemin just replies coolly, irking Renjun even more.

He raises his voice. “Huh so are you saying I’m not??” he says standing up to glare at Jaemin, intimidating him as much as he can. But Jaemin just puts his hands up placatingly while looking at him under his long lashes. “Your words not mine.”

“Alright square up-”

“Mr. Huang, Mr. Na, what are the both of you still doing here?” A teacher suddenly opens the door interrupting their argument. “I’m having the guards lock up the school already, you both better head home now,” he tells them. Both students didn’t notice the time. They check the wall clock and it’s almost 30 minutes past 6. It really is time to close the school.

“Yes sir,” they answered in unison. The teacher then leaves them to fix their things and maybe even to fix whatever was going on a while ago. But the energy they had in their little fight seems to have gone away along with their teacher because there was only silence between them when they were arranging the room until they had exited the school.

Renjun wonders where Jaemin lives and why he’s still following him. He doesn’t like the company but it’s better than either of them walking alone he supposes. But Jaemin stops on his tracks making Renjun do the same to turn back to him. He sees Jaemin, hands in pockets, looking up at the starry sky. “You know Huang…”

“What?” he says cautiously. Jaemin then looks at him dead straight into his eyes with all seriousness. There’s another beat of silence that makes Renjun increasingly nervous before Jaemin finally says a word.

“Aliens still aren’t real.”

He’s unbelievable. Renjun groans loudly and walks away as fast as he can. He thinks Jaemin can just wander around in the dark streets full of dangerous strangers all by himself for all he cares. But he hears Jaemin laughing and still trailing behind him.

And so, Renjun runs.

“Hey wait for me!”

2

“Huang, you read this series right?”

They’re at the club room again. It’s fairly quiet with nothing but the sounds of some video game filling the air. Most of the members went straight home because there won’t be any activities for them till the next month. The members who chose to stay are just killing time doing whatever till they feel like going home.

Renjun, on the other hand, is staying to catch up on his notes for the upcoming exams. He’s been falling behind because he was quite busy the week before with the report of their club’s plan for the whole term. For a small club with only five members, they still came up with a lot of ideas to make their time worthwhile so writing the report was a tedious task. He figured he didn’t want to burden the others so he just did it himself.

He also figured that it would be best to read his notes in the club room because it’s a slow day and barely anyone’s going to hang out. Unfortunately for him, Jaemin is there as per usual. And once again sitting across Renjun.

He’s reading a comic book he had borrowed earlier from Jisung, a first year and also a member of their club. The younger boy is sitting by the other end of the table spectating Chenle, a second year, playing a basketball game on his phone.

Jaemin and Jisung are apparently family friends which is why they’re close or at least that’s what Renjun had heard. Jaemin only started coming to their club when Jisung joined despite already being friends with the rest.

Renjun lifts his gaze from his notes to read the title of the series. “Yeah so?”

“What’s your opinion on the heroes?”

“Hm that’s the volume where they got called out, personally I agree with the villain.” He returns to reading his notes. “Oh, then personally I disagree with you agreeing with the villain.” He whips his head back at Jaemin thinking if the guy is trying to fight with him again.

He sets himself in for the fight anyway. “Um why? He’s right though, heroes are the pillars of the people. Being a hero means being selfless enough to save others. Those who do it for fame and power aren’t what you can call true heroes.”

“But being a hero is a profession in their context. These so-called heroes are just like the normal people who do their job everyday. You can’t blame them for having motivations outside of purely serving people,” Jaemin argues.

Renjun purses his lips. He sets aside his notes and props his elbow on the table clasping his hands together. “How can you trust a hero whose motivation to save your life is just because they want to be famous for it?”

“It doesn’t change the fact that they’ll still save your life. It’s their job,” Jaemin says as he also places the book to the side to give Renjun his full attention.

“The fact that it’s treated as a mere profession is a problem,” Renjun debates slamming a hand on the table. Jaemin is unfazed by it and merely replies, “That’s the way their society is.”

“Yeah but it should change like what the villain said.”

Jaemin furrows his eyebrows. “What rights does the villain have to dictate what a hero should be, how society should change?” He looks genuinely confused. And the questions make Renjun think too, he puts his hand on his chin. He settles with replying, “He doesn’t but technically there’s some truth to what he says.”

The other shakes his head. “I think what he says is extremely idealistic. You can’t force every single person to strictly live up to his ideals. You can’t become so selfless you’d dedicate your whole life to others.”

“But what’s wrong with acting out of selflessness? The world would’ve been a better place if more people were to give than take, like the rich!” Renjun spreads his arms to gesture anywhere just to make his point. “Hell, no one needs a billion dollars to live comfortably,” he grumbles.

Jaemin doesn’t answer right away. He just fixes his eyes on Renjun who feels like Jaemin is staring deeply into his soul. Jaemin breaks the gaze though and turns to the book while he plays with the edges of the page. He mumbles something, “You’re missing the point.”

“Huh?”

He shifts his gaze back to Renjun. “Yeah let’s eat the rich.”

“But what about ordinary people like you, there’s only so much part of you that you could sacrifice for others. There’s only so much you could by yourself before you break. You can’t always think of your members first before your own.”

Renjun blinks at him taking a while to process what he had just said. There’s a serious look on Jaemin’s face and the longer he just stares, the more deafening the silence between them becomes, the sweatier Renjun’s palms are and the faster his heart beats. Renjun looks down at the table before momentarily closing his eyes.

He turns to Jaemin offering a tiny smirk. “And you honestly couldn’t just get straight to the point right off the bat?”

Jaemin returns it with a big one “Well, that’s not exactly my style.”

“Hyung! I forgot we were gonna have dinner at my house, mom said we should go back early to help prepare.” Jisung interrupts them and approaches carrying both his and Jaemin’s bags. Jaemin rolls his eyes though he does have a fond look on his face. “You mean it’s only gonna be who’ll help her prepare.”

“Yeah yeah let’s go, she’s gonna kill me,” the younger is already panicking and pushing the bag onto Jaemin who just turns back to Renjun. “That doesn’t sound like my problem.”

“Hyung!” Jisung is begging on his knees now. He’s truly scared of his mom. Jaemin chuckles at the younger’s antics while Renjun lets out a snort, both are endeared. “Fine but just because I also like you very much,” Jaemin pinches Jisung’s cheeks to which the younger complains.

“See you tomorrow Huang,” Jaemin grabs his bag and moves to exit the room but not without ruffling Chenle’s hair as he walks past him. “Whatever, bye Na.” Renjun thinks he best be getting back to studying now. “And good luck with your mom Sungie!”

“Yeah bye Renjun hyung, bye Lele!” And they’re both gone. Chenle’s game is the only source of sound in the room again. Renjun sighs as he continues reading his notes.

“Let me guess what you’re thinking.” Renjun looks at the little gremlin who just spoke up. He raises an eyebrow to urge Chenle to keep going. And he does, “You miss him already.”

Renjun narrows his eyes. “What are you even saying?”

“That you have a big fat crush on Jaem-”

A book flew to Chenle’s head. The thick chemistry one. And if Chenle doesn’t make it out alive, Renjun knows nothing.

3

“Why do you look like death?”

“What a nice way to call me ugly.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Jaemin whines at him.

They aren’t at the club room. Renjun had decidedly not go there in favor of finding a more peaceful study place, one without Jaemin as a distraction. He had picked the library and he even sat at the corner so he wouldn’t be found so easily. But Jaemin still did, found him easily.

“Keep lying to yourself.” The other was about to protest again but he beat him to it. “Need I remind you that the exams are next week? Obviously, I’ve been staying up to cram whatever info I need to get a high mark.” It’s a routine for Renjun to sacrifice his sleep for the whole week to prepare for the exams. It’s a bad habit to stay up late but he finds that time of the night where he’s most productive. It just works somehow.

Looking like the undead comes with his routine. There are bags under his eyes, his eyes themselves looks so lifeless and he feels so tired just by breathing. Renjun can’t even bear checking himself on the mirror. He really knows he’s not in his best state but that didn’t make hearing Jaemin say it to his face hurt any less. He can’t wait to have a beauty rest.

Renjun just returns to studying while Jaemin takes a seat in front of him. It makes Renjun more conscious that Jaemin didn’t leave yet and he’s not looking but he feels the other’s stare at him. So he asks, “And aren’t you supposed to be doing the same?”

“Looking like I’m gonna faint any second now?” It sounds like a joke but Jaemin’s worried face says otherwise. Renjun just sighs. “No, I mean studying.”

“I don’t feel like doing it yet.”

Renjun rolls his eyes at that. It must be nice to be so gifted to the point where you could just not study if you don’t feel like it. “Well you’re annoying, watch me take the top spot from you then. Jaemin doesn’t make another comment so Renjun just continues scribbling down notes.

Jaemin speaks again a moment later, “Say, why do you study so hard?”

“Well, don’t you?”

“Just answer my question.”

Renjun ponders about it for a while. He’s been working so hard ever since so he never really took the time to reflect on  _ why _ he’s doing it. “It’s not like my parents force me to. I guess I just like getting high grades. Learning too, all this stuff is bound to help me achieve my dreams,” he says with a nod at the end.

Jaemin contemplates on his answer. “Hm so what’s your dream? Do you want to be an astronaut like Jisung?” Renjun chuckles lightly at this. “You’d think I would want to take up astrophysics being in the astronomy club and all but learning about space, that’s more of a hobby for me. I just found it fun so I thought I should share what I like with others in a club.”

“Then what is then?” Jaemin asks with genuine curiosity in his voice. “I want to pursue psychology. I kinda found that I like learning how people’s minds work, why people think differently, what makes us think the way we do, something like that.” Renjun shares this shyly. His dream is a relatively new thing he had decided on and Jaemin is the first to know about it.

“Oooh so studying about Gauss Law will help you in your dream of becoming a psychologist,” Jaemin says in an obnoxiously sarcastic tone. He should’ve known Jaemin would give a remark like that. “… it could? You’ll never know.”

Now Jaemin is really trying to hold his laughter. He looks like someone who’s about to yawn except his lips are upturned and his nose is scrunching and the whole sight looks so goofy that it makes Renjun laugh himself. Jaemin follows him soon after. They were quickly hushed by the librarian but even after that they were still giggling.

“Okay it does sound absurd.”

“Because it is.”

Renjun just hums smiling at himself brushing his hand on the page of the book in front of him. When he finds his eyes on Jaemin again, he sees him watching the sunset through the window beside them. Renjun admires how the afternoon sun basks him beautifully. He had begun tracing the slope of Jaemin’s nose down to his jaw and his neck when he had realized what he was doing. He coughs to himself to quickly get rid of his thoughts. “What about you though? What’s your dream?”

“I don’t have one,” Jaemin replies while still admiring the view.

“Huh? You’re lying again.”

Jaemin looks back at him to whine, “I haven’t been lying!”

He folds his arms on the table propping his head. “You know me, I get high grades, I’m basically good at any sport, I- don’t look at me like that.” How can Renjun not look at him with a stink eye when he appears to be outright boasting and making Renjun feel less of himself. Jaemin continues anyway. “I can even pursue modeling or acting or being an idol with my looks.” Renjun rolls his eyes even though he knows it’s true.

Jaemin lifts his head, arms still folded. “I can pursue just about anything if I want to.” He stops for a moment perhaps thinking about his next words.

“My parents… they actually wanted me to follow their footsteps and become a doctor since I was child, the reason why  _ I  _ worked so hard. But I guess things just changed then suddenly one day they told me I can just do anything I want and they’ll still support me.”

“I can do anything I want but that’s the thing, I don’t want to do anything,” he finishes with a smaller voice. Jaemin slumps his shoulders shifting his gaze to the table. “I don’t know if I ever will.”

“Yet. You don’t want to do anything yet. You’ll find it someday” He gazes at Jaemin’s troubled form with sincere eyes wanting him to hope. Jaemin meets his eyes. He thinks about it for a second before tilting his head to the side asking, “How then?”

“Just try new things! Learn new hobbies, watch interesting stuff, try anything you think you might like.” He gives Jaemin a smile for encouragement.

The other gives a slow nod. Then his eyes light up nodding more surely. He quickly stands up, reaching for Renjun’s things and clearing the table. “Okay then help me out.” He packs the stuff in Renjun’s bag. “Let’s go find what I like doing best.” Renjun is dumbfounded by the sudden change in the way the conversation is going.

“But I’m studying.”

Jaemin stops. “But don’t you put others first before yourself?” He asks accusingly.

Renjun couldn’t believe what this guy was saying. “I’m a changed man,” he retorts.

“No, you’re still burning yourself out even if isn’t for others,” Jaemin says sternly. But Renjun also felt the genuine worry in his voice.

So he gives in. “Okay fine.” That makes Jaemin smile again. He continues packing the things inside Renjun’s bag, even offering to carry it for him. They stand up but before they leave, Renjun speaks up again.

“But um Jaemin?” The other hums in response facing him.

Renjun carefully places a hand on his shoulder patting it. “I just want you to know that you don’t have to rush finding your dream and all. It’s perfectly valid, perfectly normal.” He pauses to see Jaemin’s reaction and he just finds the other looking carefully at him as if he doesn’t want to miss a single word Renjun will say.

“Just keep on trying, find out wherever life will take you. And if you want some sort of proof that you won’t blindly believe me then just look around you, there are lots of people who’ve found theirs so I’m sure you will too.” He puts a reassuring smile on his face hoping Jaemin would find comfort in his words. And Jaemin did.

It works wonders because Jaemin is beaming at him and he has never seen a person so happy from his own words that it also fills him with joy. They’re both now standing face-to-face wrapped in the warmth of each other’s smiles.

“Okay, I won’t rush anything. Just hang out with me.”

4

“You really brought your camera.”

“Of course, wouldn’t miss this chance.”

“You better take great shots then.”

The whole club gathered around on the rooftop of the school for their much-awaited activity, stargazing. They had scheduled it the month after their exams right at the day where a meteor shower would be visible. Of course, Jaemin is with them too to document the entire thing.

After the day at the library, Jaemin would always drag Renjun out somewhere whenever he had decided that Renjun had spent too much time on studying. Renjun first suggested they watch documentaries in Jaemin’s room so they would know what field interests him the most, but he got bored of all of them and ended up snoring not even 10 minutes in. Eventually, they had decided to just have movie marathons.

Then they also got tired of staying in Jaemin’s house. So they went outside, they went to arcades, karaoke, the mall and the likes. They actually drifted from their goal but who cares when they were having fun. Renjun learned to loosen up and despite having less time to study, he still made it out alright in their exams. Jaemin too, top in the ranks as always.

And during those times, Jaemin would always take a picture of anything that catches his eye. Be it Renjun getting frustrated over the game at the arcade or Renjun being wrapped up in a blanket because he was too scared of the movie they watched. Jaemin had been enthusiastic, capturing the memories of each and every moment they had.

That’s when Jaemin had told Renjun that maybe he likes photography the most. He even bought a better camera for it instead of always using his phone. Jaemin still doesn’t know if it’s something he’d like to pursue but it was a start, and Renjun is more than proud of him for discovering another part about himself.

“Jaem! Take a picture of me with Mark hyung,” Donghyuck called out to Jaemin from the other side of the rooftop. Aside from Jaemin, the club’s sole alumnus, Mark, also joined them for their activity. “With me too!” Chenle also makes his way to where Mark and Donghyuck are already posing for a shot. They take a couple of pictures.

A breeze passes through all of them which gets them shivering even when they all have their coats on. “Ugh it’s so cold here, why did I sign up for this club again,” Donghyuck complains while he’s rubbing his hands trying to have some source of heat.

“Because you mixed up astrology with astronomy,” Mark helpfully supplies an answer.

“Oh for real hyung,” Jisung says surprised. “I thought Renjun hyung just forced you to sign like Chenle.”

“You did that??” Jaemin turns to Renjun. “Yep,” Renjun smugly replies. Mark laughs at the incredible face Jaemin is pulling out of disbelief. He says, “It was a desperate time.” It was desperate indeed. The club needed a minimum of five members to be established so Renjun had to practically drag Chenle by the ear from his house next door just to make him sign the form.

“Guys I just finished setting up the telescope.” Jeno approaches the group. He’s the only one among all of them who isn’t lazy enough to do it. Renjun will forever be thankful that he had managed to bribe Jeno, who was his lab partner last year, into becoming a member by just buying some toys for his cats. Jeno points at the telescope with his thumb and asks “Who wants to go first?”

“Me!” Chenle was already running towards it with Donghyuck behind. “Count me second.”

“I thought I was the only one interested in space here besides Renjun hyung.”

While the three gather around the telescope with Chenle hogging the lens as Jisung tries to push him and Donghyuck stopping the youngest from doing so, Jaemin asks the remaining members who are just watching the scene unfold, “Can I have a look too?”

Renjun throws him a confused look. “Sure, you can.”

“You’re practically a member now Nana, you attend more meetings than me,” Jeno says as he puts an arm around Jaemin. Mark is surprised with this. “Really? Then why did you even reject us back then?” They had considered recruiting Jaemin when establishing the club last year because everyone except Renjun was already close with him.

It was Renjun who approached him about filling up the form though. He gave him a much enthusiastic speech about space. And Jaemin was nodding along to everything he was saying, even adding comments here and there. Renjun thought he was already interested.

But it still ended with a rejection and he was very bitter about it. That day, Jaemin didn’t even give him a reason. He thought about it for a while, apologized and just walked out on him. Then imagine how annoyed Renjun was when Jaemin started showing his face at the club a year later.

All the annoyance is gone now though, he’s much closer to Jaemin after all. But he still never did find out his reason back then. Jaemin finally says, “I just thought space wasn’t really my thing.” He turns to his camera smiling while saying, “Actually, I don’t think science is.”

“I mean it wasn’t ours either, only Renjun’s,” Jeno says, still clinging to Jaemin.

“Yeah I just couldn’t say no when he asked me to be the president last year.”

“It needed to be a third year hyung.” Mark is the only upperclassman Renjun is close with back then because they were both class representatives. He sat next to him coincidentally during one meeting and they immediately clicked. Renjun punches his arm lightly. “Don’t say you regretted it.”

“No, of course not, we all have fun in our little club anyways.” And they all turned to the other three who had managed to compromise. It’s Jisung turn on the telescope with Chenle pointing out the stars he should look at and Donghyuck ruffling Jisung’s hair while also looking up at the stars. It’s a beautiful sight, Jaemin clicks his camera. “I can see that.”

Suddenly, Donghyuck turns to the four, “Guys! The meteor shower, it’s starting! Look!” And true enough, in the darkness of the sky, there shines brightly a great streak of line followed by another and some more appearing here and there till the whole night sky shines. Some already disappear below the horizon but not without giving a spectacular view. Everyone is looking up in awe at the event they had been waiting for.

The members move closer to the edge while still unable to take their eyes off the sky. Renjun momentarily scans the group to find one missing. He finds Jaemin still at the back taking pictures of everyone’s amazement, a fond smile adorning his face as he checks his shots.

Renjun goes to him, completely ignoring the magnificent lights from above. “Jaemin?” When the other looks up, he’s visibly confused as to why Renjun is in front of him, not even watching the view. Renjun gently pushes the camera down to just hang on Jaemin’s neck by the strap. He takes his now free hand.

“C’mon, you can take pictures later. Let’s live the moment.”

“Renjun do you believe in an alternate universe?”

They’re walking back to Mark’s house for a sleepover after they have finished their activity. They had lost rock, paper, scissors and were tasked to buy midnight snacks for everyone from a nearby convenience store. There’s a certain lightness in their steps even while each of them is holding full bags of chips and drinks and ice creams. They take their time, Renjun matching Jaemin’s slow pace as they chance a look at the stars, it never gets old.

He turns his head to Jaemin. “You already know the answer to that.” The other chuckles a deep laugh before meeting Renjun’s gaze. “Right then what do you think would’ve happened in the universe where I hadn’t rejected your offer?”

Renjun stops in his tracks gasping at him. “Am I hearing this right? You’re actually thinking a ‘what if’ about an alternate universe? Something that has yet to have any proof?” Jaemin just bumped his side with not really much force laughing at Renjun’s shocked expression.

“Let’s say I too am a changed man,” Jaemin tells him before fully facing his body. “So? What do you think would happen?”

He thinks about it for a while. Eventually he answers simply, “I guess Chenle wouldn’t have to sign up?” Then he adds jokingly, “Maybe I’d even want to beat you up sooner.”

Jaemin shakes his head with a grin before starting to walk again. “Then it’s a good thing I didn’t.”

They become enveloped in a comfortable silence. Renjun had grown accustomed to Jaemin’s silence during their hangouts. Jaemin does that when he’s deep in his thoughts and Renjun learned to patiently wait for him to say them out loud.

The other speaks up again after a few minutes. “Do you think there’s a universe where we would’ve never even met?” So that’s what he was thinking of during their silence. “No,” Renjun firmly replies.

It’s Jaemin’s turn to question him. “What, didn’t you believe in endless possibilities?”

“I think the universe has endless possibilities for all of us to meet each other.”

They stop again, it’s just a few more blocks before they get to their destination. Jaemin is visibly amused by his answer. “Yeah?”

Renjun eagerly nods. “Yeah like,” he looks up to think of an example, “maybe we would be idols performing on stage together!” He proceeds to attempt doing some popular dance he had seen trending on the internet. Keyword is attempted but he got Jaemin cheering him on anyways despite dancing like a fool in the middle of an empty street.

“I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fans,” Jaemin says, even clapping enthusiastically at Renjun’s attempt. Renjun corrects him, “I’m sure  _ we’ll _ have a lot of fans, and we’ll have lots of songs too!”

They continue waking, imagining how Renjun must be the one doing all the high notes followed by Renjun attempting to do it again only for Jaemin to remind him that it’s midnight and everyone is sure to get them if they ever wake up. Jaemin also envisions himself as a rapper then doing some freestyle asmr rap that got Renjun hollering at the sidewalk and clutching his stomach from laughing too hard.

He just picked himself up when Jaemin, who was waiting for him a couple of feet ahead, had sparked a new idea. “How about if we’re like the superheroes in those comics we read?” Renjun likes that idea. “We’d be a team! I want the ability to read people’s minds,” he says while walking towards Jaemin. He places a finger by the side of his head as if he really was reading Jaemin’s mind.

Jaemin rolls his eyes at him. “Lame, I’d like to have telekinesis,” he raises his hand towards the full moon attempting to pull it closer. “You’re just lazy.” Renjun is next to Jaemin again and this time, Renjun is the one who bumps the other’s shoulder.

“Jisung would want that too.”

Renjun turns to look at the moon Jaemin was pulling a while ago. “Oh what if there’s one where we’re aliens and judging humanity?” He hears the other laugh at him. “You and your aliens,” Jaemin teases him.

“Shut up.” Renjun nudges his side again, still looking at the moon. “Just what if, what if we live in a star?”

“I’d be getting a lovely tan.”

“We’d be getting one together.”

They make a turn, only a few houses left before Mark’s. Jaemin kicks a pebble and says, “Hm what if we rule the world?” The pebble doesn’t go much farther. Renjun chases after it to kick it again. He looks back at Jaemin to say, “Who says we can’t do that here?”

Jaemin stops. “You’re scary.” Renjun snickers at him while he waits for Jaemin to catch up. But when Jaemin reaches him, he doesn’t continue on their way. He pulls Renjun’s coat as he is about to walk again. They stand facing each other with only three more houses left.

Renjun waits for him to say anything. Jaemin is only looking at the ground. “Okay,” he starts “what if we’re from different sides of the world,” then he shifts his eyes to meet Renjun’s, “You think we’ll still find each other then?”

The world is silent around them once more. It’s such a simple question but it’s laced with something deeper that Renjun is yet unsure of. He doesn’t know what’s on Jaemin’s mind. But he does know what’s on his own. Renjun takes a step closer and says the only answer he’s so sure of.

“Yeah, I’d still find you then,” he says with finality. Renjun smiles up at him hoping to even convey it with his eyes how much he means those words.

Jaemin doesn’t reply though, he just stares at Renjun with an expression he can’t read. What he does notice even when it’s dark out is the growing redness of Jaemin’s ears. And suddenly, Renjun becomes much more aware of what he said sounded like. He feels himself getting hotter too so before it can get any more awkward for the both of them, he breaks the eye contact in favor of admiring the sky.

“Whoa!” He gulps at how forced it sounded but he still continues, “The stars, don’t you think they’re beautiful?”

Renjun gives him a minute to say anything back. When Jaemin still doesn’t respond, he musters up the courage to look at him again. And there was Jaemin, still red at his ears and smiling ever so sweetly at him.

Jaemin says, without even sparing a glance towards the sky, “Yes, the moon is beautiful.”

5+1

“Nana.”

“Injun.”

“What can you say about love?”

Renjun hears a choking sound next to him. He sees Jaemin on the brink of death, holding his chest and gasping for air from where he was seated at the swing beside him. Out of panic, he repeatedly pats Jaemin’s back which only made things worse because he had put too much force and Jaemin is coughing even harder than before.

He was going to try to pat him less harder but Jaemin grabs both of his arms at place practically begging him not to do anything anymore. Jaemin catches his breath after a minute before letting him go.

He takes another deep breath again before asking, “You call me out on a Sunday night here at the park just to ask me that?” It was a rhetorical question but Renjun answers him anyway. “Yeah.”

Jaemin narrows his eyes at Renjun’s nonchalant tone. Then realization dawns on his face. “You had a romcom movie marathon, didn’t you?”

“Oh how you’ve come to know me so well.”

Renjun did in fact spend the whole day in the comfort of his bed watching romcom. He had watched around seven of them before deciding that he’s at his limit and he wanted to scream to someone all about them. The lucky person who came to his mind just happens to be Jaemin.

“I can’t believe you.”

“Just answer my question.”

They both swing lightly on their own seats. “Well, love my dear Injun is nothing but a series of chemical reactions in the brain,” Jaemin says as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Okay I regret asking you this.” Renjun was about to leave when Jaemin grabs his hand, chuckling at him like always. “I’m kidding,” he lets go before saying, “I have an answer but tell me yours first.”

Renjun takes a seat back with a huff. He swings it again.

“I think love is magical.”

A snort. And Renjun balls his hands into a fist at the boy next to him. “Sorry sorry go on, how so?” Jaemin has a pleading smile on. Renjun glares at him for the last time before continuing.

“The couple in this last movie, they’re both so weak, both so broken. They experienced nothing but hardships throughout their lives. But then they met each other and learned love.” He places a hand on his chest looking at where his heart is. “And through it, they become stronger, strong enough to face their demons.”

Jaemin thinks it through. Then he carefully says, “… so did that couple pick up each other’s broken pieces?”

“No. They picked up each of their own.” Renjun turns to Jaemin looking him in the eyes. “Love made them brave enough to risk getting cut from the sharp edges of their pieces. Because they know that scars and all, they’ll still have each other to come back to.” Jaemin seems content with that answer.

Renjun takes notice of the moon in front of where the swing faces, it’s the third quarter. “I think love is magical for the way it changes people.” Jaemin follows his gaze. “It changes people huh, you can change in both ways though.”

“Right but I think the beauty with real love is it’ll eventually go in the right way.” They fell into another silence. Perhaps Jaemin is pondering over his words. He gives him a moment.

“I’ve said my piece, so it’s your turn.” From the moon, he locks eyes with Jaemin again. “What’s love for Mr. Na Jaemin?”

“Well, Mr. Huang Renjun, love for me is quite simple really.”

“For me, love changes but not in the way you explained.” Jaemin pauses finding the right words to explain. “Love itself, my meaning of it, changes every day and maybe even in every single moment. It kind of takes different forms?”

This makes Renjun frown at confusion. “How is that simple?”

“It really is!”

Jaemin gives his piece in a more serious voice shifting his gaze to the ground in front, “One morning, love for me is excitedly waking up every morning to go to school and see his face. Then the next moment, love is me wanting classes to end just so I could hang out with him again. And every weekend,” he huffs a little laugh at himself, “I’d define love as missing him all day but being too much of a coward to ask him out on a date.”

Then Jaemin looks at the stars again. He takes a deep shaky breath to prepare for the words he’ll say next. Softly, he continues.

“Love was once just looking at him under the stars after a long day in school. Worrying about him because he doesn’t worry enough for himself. Distracting him to give him a break from working so hard. Love is even simply walking with him back from a convenience store and admiring the night sky.”

“But for the most part, love is just enjoying our time together, living the moment, finding wherever life will take me with him. And maybe,” he pauses before saying in a hopeful whisper, “wishing he’d think of our moments the same way I do.”

Finally, he turns to Renjun. “With love.”

And finally, Jaemin asks him, “Do you?”

It takes a while for Renjun to respond but all the while, his eyes are still unable to look away from the boy who had just confessed. Renjun feels his face become hotter, palms sweating and heart beating faster like what always happens with Jaemin around. Though it’s different when you finally know the other feels as much as you, it feels a hundred times better. It feels like a movie.

But no romcom movie could ever have prepared Renjun for this moment right here with the boy he loves, he doesn’t know the perfect lines to say. He settles with this.

“Well, are aliens real?”

Jaemin blinks stupidly at him. Honestly, Renjun has no idea why he went with that but he wishes Jaemin would just understand. And he did.

Jaemin grins at him from ear-to-ear. He asks, “Is that a no?”

Renjun just shakes his head mirroring the look on his face. “It’s a yes Nana.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is based from the imaginary debates I win in my head whenever I take a bath lmao please leave some comments on what I can improve on, also leave a kudos if you want <3 Thank you for reading!!


End file.
